Mount Union advances to quarterfinals

Staff report

ALLIANCE

Sophomore Jeremy Murray rushed for 183 yards on Saturday as the Mount Union football team advanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for a 19th consecutive season by beating Delaware Valley (Pa.), 31-3.

No. 2 ranked Mount Union rushed for a season-high 309 yards in the second-round game. Mount Union (12-0) takes on Alfred (N.Y.), a 34-20 upset winner over No. 20 ranked Cortland State (N.Y.), on Saturday at noon at Mount Union.

After forcing a Delaware Valley (9-3) punt on the game’s opening possession, Murray ripped off an 81-yard touchdown run on the Raiders’ first offensive play.

With 2:09 remaining until halftime, Delaware Valley’s Jake Sobchak kicked a 21-yard field goal to close the gap to 7-3.

But Chaz Jordan returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to give the Raiders the football at the Delaware Valley 33-yard line.

Four plays later, quarterback Neal Seaman hit wide receiver Cecil Shorts III across the middle and he dashed 20 yards for a score to make it 14-3.

In the third quarter, Murray’s 2-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 21-3.

Tyler Almeida kicked a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and Shorts scored on a 5-yard run,

Shorts rushed for 81 yards on seven carries and had 112 yards receiving on 10 catches.

Seaman was 14-of-19 passing for 160 yards.

The Mount Union defense held an Aggie offense that was averaging 195.5 yards rushing and 426.9 yards of total offense to 53 yards rushing and 277 total yards.

Linebacker Sam Kershaw and defensive end Lambert Budzinski each had a team-best eight stops. Budzinski had two of Mount Union’s five sacks to make him the Raiders’ new single season leader with 17.

Delware Valley quarterback Mark Hatty was 21-of-38 for 212 yards passing while wide receiver Dan Heiland had five catches for 52 yards.

Running back Matt Cook had seven carries for 18 yards to lead the offense while Rob Eagles had a game-high 12 tackles on defense.